Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of The Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Haiti is the third largest country in the Caribbean, and with an estimated population of 11.4 million, is the most populous Caribbean country.0 The capital and largest city is Port-au-Prince.
The first century of independence was characterized by political instability, international isolation, crippling debt payments to France, and a costly war with neighboring Dominican Republic. Political volatility and foreign economic influence prompted a U.S. occupation from 1915 to 1934. A series of unstable presidencies gave way to nearly three decades of dictatorship under the Duvalier family (1957–1986), which brought state-sanctioned violence, corruption, and economic stagnation. Following a coup d'état in 2004, the United Nations intervened to stabilize the country. In 2010, Haiti suffered a catastrophic earthquake, followed by a deadly cholera outbreak. With its deteriorating economic situation, Haiti has experienced a socioeconomic and political crisis marked by riots and protests, widespread hunger, and increased gang activity. As of May 2024, the country has had no remaining elected government officials and has been described as a failed state. (Full article...)
Slavery in Haiti began after the arrival of Christopher Columbus on the island in 1492 with the European colonists that followed from Portugal, Spain and France. The practice was devastating to the native population. Following the indigenous Tainos' near decimation from forced labor, disease and war, the Spanish, under initial advisement of the Catholic priest Bartolomé de las Casas and with the blessing of the Catholic church, began engaging in earnest during the 17th century in the forced labor of enslaved Africans. During the French colonial period, beginning in 1625, the economy of Saint-Domingue (today Haiti), was based on slavery; conditions on Saint-Domingue became notoriously bad even compared to chattel slavery conditions elsewhere.
The Haitian Revolution of 1791-1803 became the only successful slave revolt in human history, and precipitated the end of slavery not only in Saint-Domingue, but in all French colonies. However, this revolt has only merited a marginal role in the histories of Portuguese and Spanish America. Moreover, the struggle for independence in Latin America can be traced to this rebellion in Haiti. However, several Haitian leaders following the revolution employed forced labor, believing a plantation-style economy was the only way for Haiti to succeed, and building fortifications to safeguard against attack by the French. During the U.S. occupation between 1915 and 1934, the U.S. marines forced Haitians to work building roads for defense against Haitian resistance fighters. (Full article...)
...that in 2004, Hurricane Jeanne hit the coastal city of Gonaïves, where it affected about 80,000 of the city's 100,000 residents. Official reports counted 3,006 people dead, with 2,826 of those in Gonaïves alone.
...that former President of HaitiJean-Claude Duvalier, also known as "Baby Doc" was exiled to France after his disposition in 1986. He lost most of his wealth due to his divorce from his wife Michèle, But died October 4, 2014, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti due to a heart attack at the age of 63.
Image 29"Burning of the Plaine du Cap – Massacre of whites by the blacks". On 22 August 1791, slaves set fire to plantations, torched cities, and massacred the white population. (from History of Haiti)
Image 42Opening of the mausoleum of Pétion and Dessalines in 1926 (from History of Haiti)
Image 43Staff of the German legation and the Hamburg-Amerika Line agency at Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 1900. The agency was involved in the staffing and management of the legation. German nationals were comparatively numerous in Haiti and heavily involved in the Haitian economy until World War I. (from History of Haiti)